Have you ever known a kid to hold back on sharing his or her opinion? Neither do we, which is why we channeled the honesty of children and recently invited 10 kids, each with multiple food allergies, to a taste-testing party of 20 recipes from our cookbook. Prior to the party we contacted all the parents to find out each child’s allergies so everything we made was safe for all of our guests. With dishes ranging from breakfast through dessert, our goal was to elicit honest feedback from both the kids and their parents. What resulted was so much more….

…a group of really happy children who could eat anything on the tables and a group of happy parents who felt safe and excited that their children felt included and could eat without asking their permission. The party was so much fun!

When the kids arrived we handed them a rating form. Their task was to rate each dish on a scale from “Yummy” to “Yucky.” The kids loved rating the foods and ended up talking to each other and comparing thoughts. There were some definite winners among the dishes, and a small handful that we will be reworking. So many smiles!

Our book hasn’t been published yet but it already feel like a success. A party focused on food for children who generally have to avoid the buffet table and wait for their mom to pull out their go-to treat? What a concept. We hope to have many more of these parties. Stay tuned for a few favorite recipes from the afternoon.